French and UN helicopters have fired on military camps operated by Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo, in a bid to halt attacks on civilians.<\/p>\n
The strikes came as fighters backing Mr Gbagbo’s rival Alassane Ouattara stepped up their attempts to take control of the main city, Abidjan.<\/p>\n
The UN has been under pressure to fulfil its mandate to protect civilians, and asked for French help.<\/p>\n
International groups say Mr Ouattara is the legitimate leader of the country.<\/p>\n
Observers and regional bodies say he won elections late last year, but Mr Gbagbo has refused to step down.<\/p>\n
‘Tipping point’<\/span><\/p>\n In recent days, pro-Ouattara forces have launched a sustained assault, sweeping down from their northern strongholds to capture the rest of the country.<\/p>\n Witnesses say they met little resistance until reaching the main city of Abidjan, a Gbagbo stronghold.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n There are about 50 pro-Ouattara soldiers resting in the shade, including some wounded who have just come back from the battle for Abidjan. One soldier described the fighting as “hot”.<\/p>\n A lot of troops have just left for what senior military commanders here are telling me is the final push for the city. A general emerged from a meeting at a makeshift headquarters at a half-built toll station and said the city would be in his control in “a matter of hours”.<\/p>\n Mr Ouattara’s forces have, of course, been saying this for some days but there is no doubt that this is a new and substantial offensive.<\/p>\n \t\n\t\t<\/div>\n Pro-Ouattara commanders say they have launched their final assault on the city and expect to take it in a matter of days.<\/p>\n Many residents in Abidjan, a city of five million people, are said to be trapped indoors without food, water and electricity.<\/p>\n The BBC’s Barbara Plett at the UN in New York says the Security Council may well feel that Mr Gbagbo’s days are numbered.<\/p>\n She says they may be more willing to allow actions that would previously have seemed interventionist.<\/p>\n The UN said an attack helicopter had fired missiles at heavy weapons in a pro-Gbagbo military camp. <\/p>\n Earlier, the UN chief’s representative in Ivory Coast, Choi Young-jin, told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme: “We are fast approaching a tipping point. <\/p>\n “We are planning action, we can no longer condone their [Mr Gbagbo’s forces] reckless and mindless attack on civilians and the United Nations blue helmets with heavy weapons.”<\/p>\n He said the 9,000 troops who are part of the UN mission in Ivory Coast (Unoci) did not have a mandate to dislodge Mr Gbagbo, but they did have the powers to respond to heavy weapons attacks against the UN or civilians.<\/p>\n France’s military fired on another camp, saying the UN had asked for urgent help to take out heavy weaponry and protect civilians.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n <\/div>\n Former colonial ruler France, which still has about 12,000 citizens in the country, had earlier taken control of Abidjan airport from the UN mission.<\/p>\n Gbagbo aide Abdon George Bayeto dismissed the helicopter strikes, telling the BBC that pro-Gbagbo forces would fight on and win.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the UN has sent an envoy to investigate the massacre of hundreds of civilians in the western town of Duekoue.<\/p>\n The violence happened last week, when Mr Ouattara’s fighters moved south, ousting Mr Gbagbo’s troops from large swathes of the country. Both sides have said the other was responsible.<\/p>\n The UN said on Saturday that more than 330 people had been killed – mostly by Mr Ouattara’s forces. <\/p>\n However, the Caritas aid agency estimated that 1,000 may have been killed. <\/p>\n Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk<\/b> or text them to 61124<\/b> (UK) or +44 7725 100 100<\/b> (International). If you have a large file you can<\/i> upload here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n Read the terms and conditions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\nAt the scene<\/h2>\n
Ivory Coast: Battle for power<\/h2>\n
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